Tonight's the deadline for voting on the first round of nominations for BAFTA, so I'm going to cut my movie watching short now and give you my pics for BEST TEN MOVIES of 2006, in order...
THE DEPARTED
How do you sustain tension and keep momentum after a twenty minute opening sequence set-up? You build it. This is without a doubt Scorsese's best film, and best of the year. Astonishing performances from a dream cast, ingenious editing, and real, genuine emotion.
CHILDREN OF MEN
This all-too-real vision of the future is dark as the night, but consistently gives a message of hope for the daybreak. Another emotional triumph this year, and contains some of the most incredibly directed sequences I have ever seen.
THE QUEEN
As we would say to Helen Mirren at Passover, Dyanu! It would have been enough this past year to revel in her brilliant performance as Elizabeth I from HBO, but twice does she amaze us as the second, and apparently a little white trashy, Elizabeth.
IDLEWILD
Hands down the most underrated, unseen film of the year, OutKast's long in development, originally for television feature-film is a reinvention of the musical, a statement on post-modernism, and a hip-hop hoot of a film.
MARIE ANTOINETTE
And speaking of underrated and underappreciated, Sophia Coppola's amazing follow up to
Lost in Translation is an even more personal exploration of identity, change, and the pressures of social expectations. Bravo Sophia, and off with the heads of anyone that booed in Cannes.
BORAT
Borat is cinema's most lovable anti-Semite since Walt Disney, and the portrait he paints of America in this feature-length laugh-fest is too true and too scary to deal with, so you gotta just laugh (or sue).
THE HISTORY BOYS
A brilliant play translates to a brilliant film, made all the more interesting by the original cast and director.
SUPERMAN RETURNS
Capturing exactly the same emotional pull as the original Donner film, this sort-of sequel answers the question "does the world need Superman?" The answer: yes, and a few more sequels would be welcome.
STRANGER THAN FICTION
Are the voices in your head telling you that Will Ferrell couldn't possibly pull off a serious performance, nor could any of his films be considered heartwarming, nor thought provoking? Easily the year's best original screenplay, and an overall fun film.
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
I don't know a single person who hated this film. It's just a gem, and I think a true contender for the Oscar.
and honorable mentions...
LITTLE CHILDRENV FOR VENDETTAA PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION MIAMI VICEDREAMGIRLS
It's always alarming when child actors publicly go from cute to puberty overnight. The latest is Daniel Radcliffe, who bares his newly grown pubes soon on the London stage.
Man, do I love me some Arcade Fire. Not only do they sell out their show faster than you can say "great burning Donkey Kong," but they just played a surprise concert at Ottawa's Canterbury High School! 
CLICK YPSILANTI's FAMOUS 
Cat in a Box
Orville Redenbacher digitally returns from the grave and dons an iPod in a commercial directed by once respected auteur David Fincher. 
Doc sends Marty back to the future, suddenly shifting gears to push Direct TV on viewers and also mark the shark-jumping of one-time hip actor Christopher Lloyd. Great Scott!
Babel is honored with a Golden Globe for Best Picture, making everyone in Hollywood feel even more superficially happy for themselves, if at all possible.
For your listening pleasure in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a download of Stevie Wonder's classic tune Visions.
TODD'S STEP BY STEP iPHONY PLAN
By now I've probably done the small-talk answer to "how was your new year's" question at work about a hunderd times. As great as my New Year's Eve was, I couldn't possibly dream up a better response than the one I overheard on my way home from work tonight...
This new year, I want every one of my readers to do one simple thing: replace at least one of your light bulbs (preferably the light you use the most) with an Energy Star approved CFL (those strange curly little light bulbs that cost a little more).
